This early 70s murder mystery whodunit promises much but delivers little. The psychic aspect of the plot is never explained and is apparently randomly acquired. So, instead of adding an exciting extra dimension to the narrative this merely results in Paul attempting to get his hands on some trinket or other in order to receive a psychic charge and advance the stuttering plot. This means the novel is repetitive and pedestrian and also becomes progressively less interesting given the similarity of these narrative building blocks.
It's possible this might not matter as much if the characters were quirky, vivid and leapt off the page - or if the author worked hard at evoking a time and place in which to immerse the reader. Unfortunately, the characters are cardboard, and location and incident bland to the point of tedium. So, in spite of a neat and rather cynical twist in the tail - which was a not uncommon narrative device at the time - there is little to engross or entertain and even less of a charge (psychic or otherwise) to convince the reader that there is more to this formulaic whodunit with a fantasy twist than meets the eye.
Unfortunately, this novel exhibits the worst aspects of stolid and stereotypical TV genre writing of the day and the author's predominant employment in TV scriptwriting suggests that this was his strength. This UK paperback edition (there was an earlier UK Gollancz hardcover) was acquired for pennies rather than pounds along with a batch of 60s and 70s UK horror paperback fiction at a sadly since closed local charity shop. It boasts evocative - if slightly cheesy - uncredited artwork which suggests the book is a stalk and slash horror novel rather than this disappointing and forgettable whodunit.
Thanks for posting this. He was actually my grandfather. It's interesting to see what people have to say about his writing, having my own opinion of it.
ReplyDelete- Karin Dennis
Hello Karin, Your grandfather was married to Norma Wilson born in Exeter. She was a very dear friend of my mother, Doris Dettmer. Norma's mother Laura Wilson was a best friend to my Grandmother and we beli e they were cousins. In 1973 returning from a trip to Australia my mom and Dad and I spent a few days with Norma and Robert and the family. Your father would have been one of those children. Regards Joan Karstens
DeleteI read this book in Spanish many, many years ago. I then bought it in English and enjoyed it quite a lot. I've hunted down other Dennis short stories throughout the years and have always found them entertaining. There is a sequel to this novel titled Conversations With a Corpse but I haven't read it yet.
ReplyDeleteI have read and enjoyed other books many years ago.
ReplyDeleteI've read The Sweat of Fear several times along my life. I found it really entertaining. It was in Spanish, published in Buenos Aires by a selective collection -: "El Séptimo Círculo". I'm glad to learn the title of another of his books and will try to buy it somehow.
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